1. Field of the Invention
In general, the invention relates to structures for feeding livestock and other animals, and more particularly to a feed support for use inside a bale ring.
2. Description of Related Art
Bale rings are cylindrical structures that are used to contain animal feed, such as hay, to prevent the feed from being trampled or soiled, and to control the manner in which the feed is accessed by the animals. FIG. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,951,189, which is incorporated by reference, illustrates a typical bale ring, or hay feeder, as it is sometimes called. The bale ring has a generally cylindrical shape, open at the top and bottom, and encloses a space into which a bale of hay may be placed. The upper portion of the bale ring has a series of slanted, vertically-extending slats around the entirety of its perimeter. Animals such as cattle can place their heads between the slats to feed, but are otherwise prevented from getting to the feed by the bale ring, and thus cannot trample or soil the feed.
Bale rings are typically made of metal, for example, aluminum or steel. Some bale rings come in several sections, which must be assembled prior to use. Because they act as a barrier for large, heavy animals, bale rings are often damaged or dented while in use, and are often significantly deformed by the animals seeking to feed on the hay. Oftentimes, a mildly or moderately deformed bale ring will remain in service.
While a typical bale ring protects the perimeter of a hay bale and prevents livestock from trampling it while feeding, it generally provides no barrier between the hay bale and the ground. Thus, ground moisture may seep into any hay stored within the bale ring and may thus spoil the hay.
The problem of hay spoilage due to ground moisture is an old one, and a number of solutions for it appear in the patent literature. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 816,595 to Peete, issued in 1906, discloses a “shock support” for supporting a shock of hay above ground level for curing purposes. However, the Peete shock support also exemplifies several of the difficulties with conventional solutions: it is not designed to work with a bale ring; it is large, cumbersome, and may be difficult to break down for shipping; and it would not be able to be used with a dented or otherwise deformed bale ring.